Dental visiting trajectory patterns and their antecedents.

Objective: This study aimed to test whether socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood may affect dental visiting patterns between ages 18 and 32 years.

Methods: Using data from a complete birth cohort, childhood SES status was measured (using the New Zealand Elley-Irving index) at each study stage between birth and 15 years. Longitudinal dental visiting data were available for 833 study participants from ages 15, 18, 26, and 32, and these were analyzed by trajectory analysis.

The influence of family income trajectories from birth to adulthood on adult oral health: findings from the 1982 Pelotas birth cohort.

Objectives: We assessed whether 3 models of life course socioeconomic status (critical period, accumulation of risk, and social mobility) predicted unsound teeth in adulthood among a Brazilian cohort.

Methods: Life course data were collected on the 5914 live-born infants in the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort study. Participants' oral health was assessed at 15 (n = 888) and 24 (n = 720) years of age.

Physiological and transcriptional response of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 to acid stress.

This study investigated features of the acid tolerance response (ATR) in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334. To optimize ATR induction, cells were acid adapted for 10 or 20 min at different pH values (range, 3.0 to 5.

Long-term dental visiting patterns and adult oral health.

To date, the evidence supporting the benefits of dental visiting comes from cross-sectional studies. We investigated whether long-term routine dental visiting was associated with lower experience of dental caries and missing teeth, and better self-rated oral health, by age 32. A prospective cohort study in New Zealand examined 932 participants' use of dentistry at ages 15, 18, 26, and 32.

Trajectories of dental anxiety in a birth cohort.

Objective: To examine predictors of dental anxiety trajectories in a longitudinal study of New Zealanders.

Methods: Prospective study of a complete birth cohort born in 1972/73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, with dental anxiety scale (DAS) scores and dental utilization determined at ages 15, 18, 26 and 32 years. Personality traits were assessed at a superfactor and (more fine-grained) subscale level via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire at age 18 years.

Cardiovascular risk assessment in Australian general practice.

Background: Australian general practitioners are encouraged to assess absolute cardiovascular risk (CVR) using a CVR calculator such as the New Zealand Cardiovascular Risk Calculator. However, overseas research suggests that the use of these tools is problematic. Australian data on CVR calculator use is lacking.

Comparison of the complete genome sequences of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DSM 10140 and Bl-04.

Bifidobacteria are important members of the human gut flora, especially in infants. Comparative genomic analysis of two Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains revealed evolution by internal deletion of consecutive spacer-repeat units within a novel clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat locus, which represented the largest differential content between the two genomes.

Continuing decline in hormone therapy use: population trends over 17 years.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) in 2008 and trends over the last 17 years in an Australian population.

Methods: Data were obtained from nine representative population face-to-face interview surveys of the South Australian population from 1991 to 2008. The surveys used consistent method and quality control procedures.

Proteomic profiling of distinct clonal populations of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted immense research interest in the field of regenerative medicine due to their ability to be cultured for successive passages and multi-lineage differentiation. The molecular mechanisms governing MSC self-renewal and differentiation remain largely unknown. The development of sophisticated techniques, in particular clinical proteomics, has enabled researchers in various fields to identify and characterize cell specific biomarkers for therapeutic purposes.

External concentration of organic acid anions and pH: key independent variables for studying how organic acids inhibit growth of bacteria in mildly acidic foods.

Although the mechanisms by which organic acids inhibit growth of bacteria in mildly acidic foods are not fully understood, it is clear that intracellular accumulation of anions is a primary contributor to inhibition of bacterial growth. We hypothesize that intracellular accumulation of anions is driven by 2 factors, external anion concentration and external acidity. This hypothesis follows from basic chemistry principles that heretofore have not been fully applied to studies in the field, and it has led us to develop a novel approach for predicting internal anion concentration by controlling the external concentration of anions and pH.

Recorded quality of care for depression in general practice: an observational study.

Background: Depression is a leading cause of disease and disability internationally, and is responsible for many primary care consultations. Little is known about the quality of primary care for depression in the UK.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of good-quality primary care for depression, and to analyse variations in quality by patient and practice characteristics.

Genome sequence and comparative genome analysis of Lactobacillus casei: insights into their niche-associated evolution.

Lactobacillus casei is remarkably adaptable to diverse habitats and widely used in the food industry. To reveal the genomic features that contribute to its broad ecological adaptability and examine the evolution of the species, the genome sequence of L. casei ATCC 334 is analyzed and compared with other sequenced lactobacilli.

Recorded quality of primary care for osteoarthritis: an observational study.

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic disease in the UK, with greater prevalence in women, older people, and those with poorer socioeconomic status. Effective treatments are available, yet little is known about the quality of primary care for this disabling condition.

Aim: To measure the recorded quality of primary care for osteoarthritis, and assess variations by patient and/or practice characteristics.

Comparative evaluation of yogurt and low-fat cheddar cheese as delivery media for probiotic Lactobacillus casei.

This study used Lactobacillus casei 334e, an erythromycin-resistant derivative of ATCC 334, as a model to evaluate viability and acid resistance of probiotic L. casei in low-fat Cheddar cheese and yogurt. Cheese and yogurt were made by standard methods and the probiotic L.

Oral health-related quality of life in a birth cohort of 32-year olds.

Objectives: To describe oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among New Zealand adults and assess the relationship between clinical measures of oral health status and a well-established OHRQoL measure, controlling for sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and use of dental services.

Methods: A birth cohort of 924 dentate adults (participants in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study) was systematically examined for dental caries, tooth loss, and periodontal attachment loss (CAL) at age 32 years. OHRQoL was measured using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14).

Disparities in edentulism and tooth loss between Māori and non-Māori New Zealand women.

Objectives: Tooth loss and edentulism are important negative health outcomes; however, there is little current information about the prevalence of these conditions among adults in New Zealand (NZ). This study describes the dentate status of Maori and non-Maori NZ women with regard to tooth loss, edentulism and denture-wearing, and investigates ethnic and sociodemographic disparities within the sample. Associations between dentate status, socio-demographic and health-related factors are described.

Control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meats containing sodium levulinate, sodium lactate, or a combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate.

This study investigated the use of sodium levulinate to prevent outgrowth of Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. Turkey breast roll and bologna were formulated to contain 1%, 2%, or 3% (w/w) sodium levulinate, 2% sodium lactate, a 2% combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate (1.875% sodium lactate and 0.

Female and male antisocial trajectories: from childhood origins to adult outcomes.

This article reports on the childhood origins and adult outcomes of female versus male antisocial behavior trajectories in the Dunedin longitudinal study. Four antisocial behavior trajectory groups were identified among females and males using general growth mixture modeling and included life-course persistent (LCP), adolescent-onset, childhood-limited, and low trajectory groups. During childhood, both LCP females and males were characterized by social, familial and neurodevelopmental risk factors, whereas those on the adolescent-onset pathway were not.

Cannabis smoking and periodontal disease among young adults.

Context: Tobacco smoking is a recognized behavioral risk factor for periodontal disease (through its systemic effects), and cannabis smoking may contribute in a similar way.

Objective: To determine whether cannabis smoking is a risk factor for periodontal disease.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study of the general population, with cannabis use determined at ages 18, 21, 26, and 32 years and dental examinations conducted at ages 26 and 32 years.

Trajectory patterns of dental caries experience in the permanent dentition to the fourth decade of life.

Dental caries is a chronic, cumulative disease, but no studies have investigated longitudinal patterns of caries experience. The objective of this study was to identify and describe developmental trajectories of caries experience in the permanent dentition to age 32. Longitudinal caries data for 955 participants in a longstanding birth cohort study were analyzed by trajectory analysis.

Development of an enhanced proteomic method to detect prognostic and diagnostic markers of healing in chronic wound fluid.

Background: Chronic venous leg ulcers are a significant cause of pain, immobility and decreased quality of life for patients with these wounds. In view of this, research efforts are focused on multiple factors in the wound environment to obtain information regarding the healing of ulcers.

Objectives: Chronic wound fluid (CWF), containing a complex mixture of proteins, is an important modulator of the wound environment, and therefore we hypothesized that these proteins may be indicators of the status of wounds and their potential to heal or otherwise.

Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of amino acid auxotrophy in Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32.

The conversion of amino acids into volatile and nonvolatile compounds by lactic acid bacteria in cheese is thought to represent the rate-limiting step in the development of mature flavor and aroma. Because amino acid breakdown by microbes often entails the reversible action of enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways, our group investigated the genetics of amino acid biosynthesis in Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32, a commercial cheese flavor adjunct that reduces bitterness and intensifies flavor notes. Most lactic acid bacteria are auxotrophic for several amino acids, and L.

Cigarette smoking and periodontal disease among 32-year-olds: a prospective study of a representative birth cohort.

Background: Smoking is recognized as the primary behavioural risk factor for periodontal attachment loss (AL), but confirmatory data from prospective cohort studies are scarce.

Aim: To quantify the association between cigarette smoking patterns and AL by age 32.

Methods: Periodontal examinations were conducted at ages 26 and 32 in a longstanding prospective study of a birth cohort born in Dunedin (New Zealand) in 1972/1973.

Invited review: Advances in starter cultures and cultured foods.

With 2005 retail sales close to $4.8 million, cultured dairy products are driving the growth of dairy foods consumption. Starter cultures are of great industrial significance in that they play a vital role in the manufacturing, flavor, and texture development of fermented dairy foods.